Skid Mark - how fast for 5k?

[hauen]

I vote re-airbag and compressor it.

+!

If you re-airbag it, I'd recommend using Arnott Industries, I rebagged the wife's Land Rover with their bags and for the price and lifetime warranty they can't be beat, in my book. Though we sold the BBT (Big Blue Turd) a few years ago, I still see the people who bought it once in a while, and the bags are still in it and still good.

[milner351]

The new name of this car should be The FLAT CAT - I know it's not a cougar, but man....freakin HILARIOUS

[racingsnake440]

I vote for springs - it's no cheaper to put bags on it so why have the extra weight and potential hassle of them failing again in the future?

[BBR]

I vote for springs - it's no cheaper to put bags on it so why have the extra weight and potential hassle of them failing again in the future?

That was my thinking. Simplify for reliability.

[Beagle]

the compressor / bags weigh about the same as springs, but I pulled the trigger on 299.00 with shipping included (267 for the budget) four corner coil spring solution.

Save the boobies?? (there are a lot of pink bows in the house, and I approve) how about... Save the kitties! Thanks guys, I'll let ya know how it works out. Seems like the easy answer. I had coils / lowers for the rear but after looking at it, I need the plate up top for the rear end. I'll have it by the end of the week and that'll keep the city guy happy.

[BBR]

Actually, I'd probably buy the conversion parts, build my own and then send them back. haha

[Beagle]

I'm pretty bad about sending in rebates, I doubt I'd send the parts back.. but they are here! I'm really looking forward to the Catmobile being off the ground by the end of the weekend!

[STINEY]

Catmobile for the win!

(Did you seriously have a cat dumb enough to not notice the car slowly smooshing it? I mean, I've seen some pretty dumb cats, but that would be some kind of Darwin award cat)

[SuperBuickGuy]

Catmobile for the win!

(Did you seriously have a cat dumb enough to not notice the car slowly smooshing it? I mean, I've seen some pretty dumb cats, but that would be some kind of Darwin award cat)

in a word, yes
Ever cleaned what remained of a cat that jumped into an engine compartment while the motor was running? or run over a cat that jumped on top of a moving tire? cats are, by and large, pretty dumb.

[STINEY]

Yep, been there and done that. In a seriously warped way, I hold a grudge against modern cars with no engine driven fans - - I miss coming up with goofy names for the mutilated survivors.

If the cat in question had survived, for instance, I would rename him "Squishy", cause that's just how I roll....

[Beagle]

Stiney, you're a sick man. I can say this because the neighbor's cat used to like to sleep on the driveshaft next to the mufflers on the Mustang. I jacked it up once to find out what "that weird noise" was after backing up a few feet. Meooowwwurrrlllffff.

He got named Dumbass at that point. He did it again another time when I was late getting the boy to school. I'm trying to remember why I called him Lumpy after that. Broke his tail, screwed him up pretty good.. he walked sideways after that. I didn't hear him going down the drive, but I did when he came out from under the car at about 20mph. I think he was on top of the differential and when I shifted he decided to bail. I looked up in the mirror to see him rolling down the road.

I felt really bad, but hell, I can't do a fifty point kitteh inspection every time I move the car. We really do have a leash law, but it's not enforced. I think that is where the phrase "Herding Cats" comes from... the guy who tried to enforce the leash law.

[mlcraven]

A cat named Dumbass, that's OK. I like cats, especially the ones that catch rats and snakes. A really nasty shop cat and a junkyard dog, that would be fine by me. I hate to think what would happen to a cat on a leash sleeping on your drive shaft. Dogs are great friends, but a huge PITA. They need to be walked...and I don't have a teenager to take care off that anymore.

[Beagle]

My priorities seem backwards. A) make car move, B) worry about stop? Nah, let's jack with the brakes. The ABS light was on and the pedal was rock hard, so...

I pulled the two foot long, twenty pound beast of wires and metal that is state of the art anti-lock braking for 1989 and will replace it with a modern aluminum / plastic resorvoir 1" bore 4 wheel disc master cylinder. I also found a new '86 Mustang 2.3 power booster in the garage. I think I bought it for the Falcon wagon. I may try using it, but it's pretty small (diameter). Maybe it will have enough boost to feel right.

[Beagle]

Thoughts on Strutmaster vs. Arott coil spring kits v. repariing air ride

JeffMcKC had a quote about paying attention to what the guys who have already done it do. I think it was on Bamfster's sig. I'd do well to consider that. I should also remember that anything with the name "Masters" in it really probably means "Bastards"

The much less expensive than Arnott's kit from StrutMasters is much less expensive for a reason. Arnott's uses somewhat engineered aluminum that locates the springs like you would expect to see. Strutmasters has some delrin biscuits and nothing to keep the front lower's positively centered.

You get what you pay for, right? Well, here's where I kick myself (I do this a lot). I go to pull the front bags, thinking they are fully deflated. Uh, no. Turns out those bags don't leak, it's the compressor who has gone WEAK and doesn't have the nuts to fill up the fronts any more. They take about twice what the rears do in terms of PSI. WHOOOSH - scared the crap out of me when I pulled the solenoid. New 150.00 compressor would have fixed this deal maybe.

The air springs are notably lighter than the coils going back in, so out of the 25 pounds I removed from the front, 18 or so of them are going back in the front and another 18 or so for the back. It'll probably be a wash by the time I get all the tubing and wiring and height sensor crap and control module and ABS wiring rats nest removed. At least the copper and aluminum should recover some of the cost.

Back to the biscuits, I need to run by Lowes and see if I can find some fender washers that will hold the bottom spring locator a little more firmly in place. I'll post pictures later, feel a bit under the weather nasty head cold and for that matter, just a little Bob Holmes like this morning.

I thought I would finish this up with a stupid and meaningless quote that I found funny and somehow fitting, maybe a gentle reminder to myself.

"When Karma comes back to punch you in the face, I want to be there. You know, in case it needs help."

[Beagle]

Ah, yeah, so about Karma and teasing Bob Holmes... brilliant.

The stock brake lines are 3 port, and the new M/C is two port. I'm thinking of a proportioning valve, line lock anyway, but wondering if anybody has specific recommendations on stuff they've used for a 3-2 conversion?

/edit - looks like this will do the prop valve:

http://wilwood.com/MasterCylinders/MasterCylinderProd.aspx?itemno=260-11179

two in / three out. I'll worry about the line-loc later.